Quick and easy Ham and Bean Soup recipe is ready in 15 minutes. Loaded with cannellini or navy beans and tender leftover ham in every bite!
Ham and Bean Soup recipe is a fast and filling delicious weeknight dinner that smells heavenly. Perfect if you have any ham leftover from Christmas dinner!
HAM AND BEAN SOUP
If you’re anything like me and have no idea what to do with leftover ham except grilled cheese, then this soup is for you. Most ham and bean soup recipes take anywhere from 6-8 hours to cook, all from scratch. As delicious as they all sound, I found myself staring at my ham just an hour before dinner with nothing else on offer in the house.
Enter 15 minute ham and bean soup.
This soup is to die for… even better when you need something FAST, comforting, hearty AND FILLING!
LEFTOVER HAM RECIPE
If you don’t have any leftover ham but you really want to try this, you can buy cooked ham (you’ll need about 10 oz or 300 g) from your deli or grocery store.
HOW DO YOU MAKE HAM AND BEAN SOUP?
This Ham and Bean Soup recipe is so easy and ready in a pinch without much to it at all.
You’re going to start with a Soffritto (sautéing onion, carrots and celery), like we did here in this creamy ham and potato soup. Cook until soft, then sauté the garlic.
The ham is added and fried in all of those flavours before the stock is poured in. Then bring to a boil.
Stir in the beans, taste test and season with salt in the last minute of cooking. You want to make sure you’re seasoning your Ham and Bean Soup with the perfect amounts of salt to suit your tastes.
WHAT BEANS DO YOU USE FOR HAM AND BEAN SOUP?
Cannellini beans are white Italian kidney beans, which is what we have used in this Ham and Bean Soup. You can also use great northern beans or navy beans.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
You can add in other veggies, like spinach, kale, zucchini, shredded cabbage or frozen peas.
If you’d like to add in potatoes, sweet potatoes or pumpkin, you will need to simmer the Ham Bean Soup for about 5-10 minutes longer, until fork tender.
LOOKING FOR MORE SOUP RECIPES? TRY THESE!
Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup
Ham Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 large carrot peeled and diced
- ½ cup finely chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups shredded cooked ham
- 1 ½ quarts (1 ½ litres) chicken stock or broth (you can use beef)
- 2 bay leaves (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 4 (15 ounce) canned white beans (cannellini beans) -- no salt added, rinsed and drained
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of salt, if needed
Instructions
- In a large pot or saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook until onions are softened (5 minutes). Sauté the garlic until fragrant (30 seconds - 1 minute).
- Add the ham and cook for a further 2 minutes, then pour in the stock. Add the bay leaves (or thyme) and parsley. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to combine all of the flavours together.
- Stir in beans and season with pepper. Let simmer for 2 minutes, taste test and season with salt if needed.
- Serve warm.
Notes
HAM BROTH FOR HAM SOUP USING LEFTOVER HAM BONE:
- Simmer the ham bone in a stock pot filled with enough water to cover the bone halfway (about 2 quarts/litres, depending on size of bone).
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid and let simmer until very fragrant (about 1 hour).
- Discard hambone
- Replace the chicken stock with your ham broth.
eric pine says
Used this recipe after Christmas using leftover spiral ham- I let the bone with meat on it boil in the broth before adding all other ingredients. Came out SO good- easy and highly recommended!
Michael Beeck says
This recipe is actually excellent and quite easy. I’ve been searching for one like my mother used to make and this one is right on the money. There is no such thing as using too much ham. Will make again many times, I’m sure…
Ericka says
I added potatoes a bit more garlic. Fabulous soup!
mindy says
Fantastic recipe for ham bean soup! Hearty and delicious, especially on these cold winter nights. Thank you!
Jimmy B says
I am one of the rare people writing a review here who actually made the soup instead of reflecting on their pleasant holiday experiences. In my case the recent holiday was Easter and I served a spiral sliced ham. I took the ham bone with a good bit of meat still attached and simmered it for about 2 hours making my own stock. I substituted celery leaves for parsley and added one extra cup of broth. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. It was delicious! The meat came off the bone easily after simmering and went into the soup. I did not need to add any salt. It was just right – not a salt bomb. I had a nice bowl of this and it was my dinner. Froze the rest in 4 separate containers so I have some to grab on short notice. I highly recommend this recipe. EZ and delicious!
Linda Clutter says
This soup is so delicious and easy to make and I’m so glad I found it!!
Karen says
My husband and I spent a quiet Christmas at home together with lovely music, some wine and a delicious butternut squash lasagna. The only thing missing was some snow.
Angie Urbina says
I hosted Christmas for my family this year (again). My Marine son was able to come home, my college daughter, and my youngest, my husband and 3 sisters and their families. We served tamales, turkey, ham, brisket, and ribs. It was a wonderful feast on Christmas Eve.
Joan says
Christmas morning packed up car (with all the Loverly cookies from you site ) and gifts,then head to our sons for for Christmas and Boxing Day with his family and our daughters family,had a wonderful time
Sally C says
Our Christmas was spread over four days spending lots of time with family. We made our sugar cookie cut outs on Saturday to share with everyone. We enjoyed a ham and ravioli lunch with my dad‘s family on Sunday. On Monday we went to mass and then had our traditional pasta with walnuts for dinner. Something my husband grew up with in Italy. Tuesday morning we opened gifts and Tuesday evening we had a great prime rib dinner with all the fixings. Can’t wait to make this ham soup with my leftover ham!